Many software programs these days display information on a screen using effectively a multi-layered approach.
For example, a drawing package may have a central area which the software user can draw upon.
In a typical drawing package there are many drop down menus, tool bars, cursors or templates which effectively overlay the drawing on the screen. The reason for this is that there is only limited screen area available. Thus, for the user to be able to view the functions to be selected, some of the drawing space has to be borrowed for this.
Often, the user is placed in the undesirable position of having to move around the tool bars and menus if possible, or alternatively move the drawing (or whatever file the user is working on) so that the user can actually see parts of the drawing formerly obscured by the menus and so forth.
There is another related problem experienced by software users, particularly in relation to drawing packages, but not exclusively.
Often when compiling a drawing, it is necessary to compile the drawing using several layers of “objects”. A typical drawing function gives the user the ability to determine whether the object is viewed as being at the back of the picture or overlaying everything at the front of the picture. This can in some cases lead to the objects at the back of the picture being obscured by larger objects at the front of the picture. Thus, the user cannot readily select the object at the back of the picture with it being obscured.
This is understandably frustrating and can impede the users' ability to work efficiently, often requiring the user to move the front object so as to gain access to the back object.
This frustration is not limited to drawing packages. It can also be frustrating to not having ready access to the multiple levels in such diverse applications as geographical information system (GIS) programs, including medical models, instrumentation using browsers for the internet or game software, for example flight simulators.
All of the aforementioned packages have information on various levels with which the user would desire ready access to.
All references, including any patents or patent applications, cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.